Friday, January 01, 2010

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year and Warmest Greetings from everyone here at Hank Lee’s Magic Factory. I hope that everyone had the best holiday season ever. This has been a year to remember. It was supposed to be a year for change. The only change I saw was the leftover coinage in my trouser pockets. Sometimes I didn’t even see that, if Bonnie got to my trousers before I could empty the pockets. I am told that the economy is looking up. When I ask my friends in the retail sector exactly what is looking up, no one seems to have an answer. So, OK, 2009 was not the best year ever for Thumbtips and 9” silks. But, we made it through the worst of the “Repression.” That’s a combination of recession and depression. No one will say that we were in a depression, but I can tell you that Bonnie made a Ritz Cracker Mock Apple Pie, and nothing says depression like an apple pie made from crushed crackers.

I would be lying to you (and not in a nice way) if I said that 2009 was the best year ever. But, we made it through, and we can now look forward to 2010, which should be a better year for everyone. Here, I have all my fingers and toes crossed. As we change the calendar, I do want to thank all of our friends for helping us make it through 2009. We could not have done it without you, and we look so forward to serving you even better in the New Year.

There will be some subtle and some not so subtle changes in the way Hank Lee’s Magic Factory operates in 2010. All of the changes are aimed at offering even better Customer Service, an even more selective choice of merchandise and a higher in-stock percentage. Everything you have told us you want! And, I know that we can do it.

That having been said, keep your eyes and ears open for change. I know it is coming this year!

Before I leave, I do need to mention the 2010 Cape Cod Magic Conclave. The talent is all set. It looks nothing short of amazing. You can read all about it by pressing the Conclave Button at www.magicfact.com.

And now, to this week’s excitement!

FREE SHIPPING EXTENDED: Until Friday, the 29th of January at midnight, we are offering free ground shipping on any order over $30.00 to anywhere in the US, including Alaska and Hawaii! Just enter the special code SHIPMEFREE in the Discount Coupon Box at the bottom of the first page of the online checkout at www.magicfact.com. We will happily pick up the ground shipping charges on your order. Of course, if you want your order sent Fedex Three Day (Express Saver), Second Day or Next Day, you will just have to pay the difference.
Note: Your email confirmation from our online system will still list the shipping as free, but we will charge the difference when we ship your order.
Overseas customers will save as well! We will pay one-half of the Air Post shipping charges on your orders until the 29th! Just remember to enter the special code SHIPMEFREE in the Discount Coupon Box, or let the person taking your phone order know when you place your order at 800 874 7400.

Now, let’s take a look at this week’s Hotlist

(1) Springboard – Jesse Feinberg: Springboard is the very latest from Jesse Feinberg. It’s an exciting new gimmick that will allow you to perform amazing card magic! Add Springboard to any deck, and you’re ready to go. In this DVD, you will learn how to build your first Springboard gimmick, and how to use it! Everything is explained in full detail, including four easy to do effects. Unlock the full potential of Springboard with practice and a little imagination.
Special material included!
No Magnets or Invisible Thread
Durable & Reliable Construction
Simple to Learn and Easy to Perform! $30.00 (30.1464)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=1330&cat=0&page=1)

(2) Final Penetration – Mikame: A phenomenal piece of close-up magic. Very little has changed in the classic Block Penetration effect over the years, but Mikame's Final Penetration is a revival of the classic with a modern look and function. This classical piece of magic can now be reset in a wink, and the routine repeated without the hassle of setting it up again. This is the Final Penetration.
Invite a spectator to place the block into the wooden chamber. The spectator inserts the stick, locking the block in place, and flips the chamber over. The block does not fall. The spectator removes the stick, and the block falls from the chamber.
You do exactly the same thing, but the block passes through the stick and falls out of the chamber.
Everything can be inspected before and after the trick. You are left absolutely clean.
Measures Approximately 3" x 7 1/4" x 3" (7.6cm x 18.4cm x 7.6cm). Made in the quality you have come to expect from Mikame.
$109.00 (10.1556)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=1536&cat=0&page=1)

(3) Stick Man – Rodger Lovins: Have a card selected from a shuffled deck. Explain to the spectators that on the back of your business card, sealed in plastic, is a drawing of a Stick Man magician. Tell them that the Stick Man has made a prediction of the card being selected.
Upon turning the card over, it is found that the Stick Man's prediction is wrong!
The drawing on the business card is then turned face down onto the spectators hand. Explain that the Stick Man can also do the vanishing rabbit trick. Turn your business card over, and the rabbit has vanished! And the prediction is revealed to be correct!
BONUS
Comes with a free interactive video download for your Cell Phone, PDA, iPhone, Blackberry, or any other device that is able to play available video files!
Imagine having your spectator hold the Stick Man drawing in their hands as they watch a video of the little Stick Man magician work his magic on your cell phone. The rabbit vanishes and the Stick Man correctly reveals the chosen card. You then ask the spectator to turn the business card over in their hands to show that it too has magically changed . The rabbit has vanished from the drawing and the chosen card is shown to be correct!
$20.00 (30.1465)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9962&cat=0&page=1)

(4) Wizard Dark Flat Band PK Ring: A new era in Wizard PK Rings. Invented by Jim Trainer, the Wizard PK Ring is one of the most versatile utility devices in magic today. The new Wizard Dark is a 100% neodymium rare earth magnet fashioned into a black contemporary finger or thumb ring.
Information on the Wizard Dark and DVD:
The Wizard Dark provides a host of unique opportunities to amaze and impress that are limited only by your imagination. Included with your ring is a full instructional DVD starring David Penn and Craig Petty who demonstrate some amazing effects that you will be able to perform after very little practice.
Cap In Bottle - David Penn's handling which is acknowledged by leading professionals as the cleanest method available.
Pierced - A safety pin visually penetrates a playing card.
Watch Stop - Stop a spectator's own watch at your command
Kinetic Cutlery - Move a fork that is balanced on top of a bottle with the power of your mind
Coin Thru Glass - A visual penetration of a glass whilst it is held by a spectator
Available in several ring sizes. Please specify.
$35.00 (1.1555)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=1111&cat=0&page=1)

"These rings are very cool indeed!" - Marc Oberon, World Champion Magician

(5) Cane Auto Flash: A great attachment for your Vanishing Cane. Ignite a flash and make the cane disappear or change into a silk, card, flower, etc. You are only limited by your imagination. Absolutely perfect for stage performances and a must for any Vanishing Cane routine! Uses Flash Paper or Flash Cotton, which are not supplied. $39.95 (60.1641)
Note: As this effect uses real fire, you must be 18 years of age or older in order to purchase.
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9961&cat=0&page=1)

(6) Cesaral Color Prediction: With this great new item from Cesaral, you will be able to know instantly and remotely, what crayons were used to draw on a Post-It note.
Ask an audience member to think about an imaginary country, an ideal country.
Ask the audience member to put some crayons in his pocket and to take them out one by one, in a random way, and draw the flag of that country on a Post-It note. The flag may have any number of colors and thus there are many possible combinations.
Your back is turned while the flag is drawn. You can even be out of the room. When you return, without seeing the drawing, you are able to reveal the colors used and their order.
You could also figure out something about the audience member’s personality according to the randomly selected colors.
Many effects are possible with this great tool!
Important points:
• Large detection surface within the wooden base
• You have easy access to the information detected. It could not be simpler or cleaner
• Can be combined with other products like “Skully, the Lifeless Assistant”.
• The tool is an open door for many new effects.
• It is very easy to do, allowing you to concentrate on the presentation!
• All the elements are powered by Lithium Polymer rechargeable batteries. A charger is included.
• Comes complete with wooden gimmicked base, 8 digit receptor, charger and 5 crayons.
Introductory price until February 28th. $650.00 (40.702)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=1235&cat=0&page=1)

(7) Mercury Coin: A completely new and impossible Pen Through Coin effect where the coin can be shown before and after the penetration. On both sides!
Show a Half Dollar on both sides. Bring out a pen, hold the coin between your fingers and slowly push the pen through the center of the coin until the coin is clearly seen in the middle of the pen..
Now, while holding both ends of the pen at your finger tips with the coin in the middle, slowly turn the pen around to show the other side of the coin. It looks exactly the same from the front with the pen penetrating the coin. There are no trapdoors, no mirrors, no switching of the coin.
Finally, you slowly remove the coin from the pen and immediately show both sides of the coin to be solid. The very same coin.
Comes with the special coin, special pen and full instructions. $99.50 (20.437)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=1395&cat=0&page=1)

(8) Up Levitation: A deck of cards cuts itself by levitation to reveal a spectator's selected card or to magically find your favorite four of a kind.
If you have ever wanted to perform a levitation close up and personal, without the many drawbacks of prior methods, now you can!
No more threads
No more magnets
No more gimmicked decks (yes, you can just as easily use a borrowed deck!)
Michael Boden and Troy Hooser are releasing the Up Levitation gimmick to the magic community with the realization that, yes a levitation that looks this good can easily be accomplished by the everyday performer.
The gimmick's brilliant design takes the worry out of "is this a levitation I will actually use?"
The gimmick has been designed to be worry-free of extensive set ups or concealment. Now you can use a normal deck of cards that has been in play, or even borrow one, without having to worry about how difficult it is to get in and out of the effect.
The spectator's freely selected card is returned to the deck and the deck is openly ribbon spread on the table, (showing the lack of card control and hand concealment of any kind) the deck is then squared and openly held in your left hand as the magic begins. The deck slowly separates, levitating upwards, dividing itself into two halves. Then just as eerily the top half of the deck floats back down into the palm of your waiting hand. The deck is then separated at the point of separation to reveal that the spectator's selected card has been found by levitation.
Finding your favorite four of a kind has never been more magical. The deck slowly separates once again, levitating upwards into two halves, but this time you take the bottom half completely away as the top half slowly floats down into your empty waiting left palm! Now the two halves of the levitated deck are tabled and displayed to reveal four Aces at the point of separation.
The gimmick's unique design stabilizes the up and down movement of the deck for you and its streamline shape makes it easily added to any deck of cards. Michael and Troy's DVD will teach you with step-by-step instruction, just how easily this amazing levitation is to perform.
Bonus effect includes Michael's The Vanish. Now you see it, now you don't. has never been more visually real, as you watch Michael's vanish of a full deck of cards!
Learn how to make your own gimmick that will let you display a full deck of cards and, without anything more than between the hands cover, the deck instantly vanishes and is found in your pocket!
$30.00 (30.1463)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=1290&cat=0&page=1)

(9) Control 2.0 – Wayne Houchin: An impromptu technique for creating the illusion of slowing down and stopping your heart.
Demonstrating control over life and death is one of the most powerful things you can do. In this comprehensive DVD, Wayne Houchin (Sinful, Thread and Stigmata) takes you through the entire effect, from incredible live performances to the technique and subtleties that allow you to transform this routine from a trick into a miracle.
Effect: A volunteer holds your wrist and takes your pulse. They feel your heart beating a steady rhythm and you ask them to count along with it. You close your eyes and take a deep breath. Your volunteer feels your pulse gradually slow down and completely stop. Nothing. After a few deep breaths your heart starts beating again and they feel your pulse gradually return.
Control 2.0 is entirely safe and requires no gimmicks. Nothing is placed under your arm and the effect may be performed at any time.
This Special Director's Cut has been re-mastered and loaded with new ideas, new interviews and more. Featuring Daniel Garcia, Dexter (Criss Angel: Mindfreak), and the triumphant return of Randall.
Bonus Effect: Also featured on the DVD is Stop - a technique created by Daniel Garcia that allows someone to hear your heart slow down and stop. Safe and impromptu.
By carefully using the secrets revealed on this DVD it is entirely possible to convince a crowd of people that you have the ability to completely stop your heart.
Live performances, detailed instruction, practice tips and more
143 minutes with special features. $29.95 (DVD00910)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=9548&cat=0&page=1)

(10) Electric Hot Leads – Jim Pace: You are gonna love this one! Electric Hot Leads is totally hot! There is no more spectacular way to hand out your business card!
Your show is over. Someone asks for your business card. Exactly the words you were waiting to hear! Remove an attractive leather business-card case from your pocket. Take out your business card. As you do, the card spontaneously erupts into flame! The entire card appears to be engulfed in flame. Appears nothing. It is engulfed in flame!
Hold the burning card in your hand for a moment, blow out the flames and hand the card to the spectator! They can keep the card! It is completely normal. No burns. No marks. No nothing! Just like brand new! They will never forget the day they got your card. And, they will tell all their friends. This new design contains a more powerful and, more importantly, rechargeable battery.
Hand crafted, these wallets feature a thin battery, make no "clicking" sound when the card is ignited, and a safety switch has been built into each wallet to prevent misfires. The case holds up to 15 business cards, for repeat performances. No special business cards are needed. Use the ones you already own!
Electric Hot Leads comes with the specially gimmicked leather wallet, battery charger and full instructions.
Note: This product requires Flash Paper or Flash Cotton, and cannot be sold to anyone under 18 years old. $125.00 (10.991)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=1614&cat=0&page=1)

And, that’s this week’s First Of The New Year Hotlist. For those with excellent perception skills, you will notice that some of this week’s hot items are actually from last week. I thought it made sense to repeat some of the best items from last week, as a lot of people didn’t get to see the email Newsletter because of the holiday. I hope it’s OK.
As the New Year begins, I want to thank you all again for taking the time to hang out with us, either online at www.magicfact.com or in person at 102 North Street in Medford. Either way, we love the company!
Hank